Raspberry plant variety named &#39;abb 128&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct variety of raspberry plant variety ‘ABB 128’ is provided. The variety can be distinguished by its outstanding features of vigor, easiness to grow, and productivity.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §119 to Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) Application No. 20221156 for Community Plant Variety Rights, filed on May 4, 2022, for a raspberry plant with a variety denomination of ‘ABB 128’, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Latin name of the genus and species: Botanical classification: a. Genus—Rubus. b. Species—idaeus L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new raspberry plant claimed is of the variety denominated ‘ABB 128’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a new and distinct annual variety of raspberry plant, which has been given the variety denomination of ‘ABB 128’.

Background of the Related Art

Raspberries are the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family. Most raspberry species are in the subgenus Idaeobatus. Raspberry plants are perennial plants with woody stems. Many of the most important modern commercial red raspberry cultivars derive from hybrids between R. idaeus and R. strigosus. Recent breeding has resulted in cultivars that are thornless and more strongly upright, not needing staking.

Both the red and the black raspberry species have albino like pale-yellow natural or horticultural variants. Fruits from such plants are called golden raspberries or yellow raspberries. Most pale-fruited raspberries commercially sold in the eastern United States are derivatives of red raspberries. Yellow-fruited variants of the black raspberry are sometimes grown in home gardens. Despite their dissimilar appearance, golden raspberries retain the distinctive flavor of their respective red or black species.

An individual raspberry fruit is made up of around 100 drupelets, each of which contains a juicy pulp and a single central seed. A raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries in a year. Unlike blackberries and dewberries, a raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from the receptacle.

Raspberries are traditionally planted in the winter as dormant canes, but planting plugs produced by tissue culture is also common. Additionally, the long cane production method consists of growing canes for one year in cold climates where the bud break is early, and then transplanting the canes to warmer climates where they quickly flower and can produce an early season crop. A very vigorous crop, raspberries spread well and can be considered invasive, using extended underground shoots (also known as suckers or basal shoots) that can develop roots and individual plants.

Raspberries are a popular fruit that are recognized for their antioxidants, high fiber, and as a good source of vitamin C. Raspberry fruit is typically consumed as fresh fruit, individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, or in prepared foods, such as purees, juices, jellies, jams, grocery items, baked goods, and snack foods.

Raspberry is an important and valuable commercial fruit crop, widely grown in all temperate regions of the world. Accordingly, there is a need for new varieties of raspberry plant. In particular, there is a need for improved varieties of raspberry plant that are stable, high yielding, and agronomically sound.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct annual variety of raspberry, which has been given the variety, denomination of ‘ABB 128’, and is intended for use as fresh fruit.

The new raspberry variety is a selection resulting from a sexual cross of raspberry plants at De Kwakel, Netherlands in 2011, involving a seed parent known as ‘210001’ (unpatented) and a pollen parent known as ‘35’ (also referred to as ‘Advabereen’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,915, re-issued as U.S. Plant Pat. No. RE46,041).

The selection was subsequently evaluated for a number of years at Rossum, Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by cutting propagation since 2014 at Rossum, Netherlands has demonstrated that the new variety reproduces true to type with all of the morphological characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

Selection criteria included strong vigor, easiness to grow, and high productivity.

The following characteristics of the new variety have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘ABB 128’ as a new and distinct variety of raspberry plant: strong vigor, easy to grow, high productivity.

Plants of the new variety differ from plants of the seed parent ‘210001’ (unpatented) primarily in vigor as set forth in Table 1. Plants of the new variety differ from plants of the pollen parent ‘35’ (also referred to as ‘Kweli’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 46,041) in fruit size, fruit shape, and fruit color as set forth in Table 2.

TABLE 1 Similar Candidate Similar variety level variety level variety Characteristics of expression of expression ‘210001’ Productivity High Medium-High

TABLE 2 Similar Candidate Similar variety level variety level variety Characteristics of expression of expression ‘35’ Fruit size Medium Big ‘35’ Fruit shape Irregular Nice shape ‘35’ Fruit color Red Light red

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic illustrations show the typical appearance of the new variety ‘ABB 128’. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in a color representation of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describes the colors of the new plant.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of the new variety ‘ABB 128’, demonstrating extreme productivity.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of large fruit of new variety ‘ABB 128’ at primocane stage.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘ABB 128’. The datum which defines these characteristics was collected from asexual reproductions of the original selection. Dimensions, sizes, colors, and other characteristics are approximations and averages set forth as accurately as possible. The plant history was taken on plants approximately 18 weeks, and the descriptions relate to plants grown in Rossum, Netherlands. Color notations are in reference to the standard R.H.S. Color Chart 2015.

-   Classification:     -   -   a. Family.—Rosaceae.         -   b. Botanical.—Rubus idaeus L.         -   c. Common name.—Raspberry.         -   d. Variety name—‘ABB 128’.         -   Parentage:         -   a. Female parent.—‘210001’.         -   b. Male parent.—‘35’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 46,041). -   Plant:     -   -   General.—.         -   a. Height.—200-240 cm.         -   b. Width.—80-100 cm.         -   c. Length/width ratio.—Average.         -   d. Growth habit.—Upright.         -   e. Primocane (current year's cane) i. Color — Green             -135D. ii. Cane length in autumn. — 200-240 cm. iii.             Internodal distance at central ⅓ of cane — 7 cm. iv.             Anthocyanin coloration of cane — Absent. v. Cane bloom —             Very strong. vi. Time of cane emergence — Early.         -   f. Very young shoot.—i. Anthocyanin coloration of apex             during rapid growth — Weak.         -   g. Floricane (previous year's cane).—i. Dormant cane color —             Brown — 183B. ii. Fruiting lateral attitude —             Semi-erect. iii. Fruiting lateral length —40-50 cm.         -   h. Prickles (spines).—i. Presence — Present. ii. Density —             Medium. iii. Length at 1 inch in height at end of harvest             (from base to tip) — Medium. iv. Color — Purplish brown —             59A.         -   i. Fruit storage life and shipping quality.—Good.         -   j. Market use.—Fresh fruit.         -   k. Plant/fruit disease and pest             resistance/susceptibility.—Low vulnerability for mildew and             low vulnerability for spider mites. -   Leaves:     -   -   General.—.         -   a. Predominant number of leaflets.—3.         -   b. Profile of leaflets in cross section.—Straight.         -   c. Leaf rugosity.—Weak.         -   d. Color of upper side.—Dark green — 137A.         -   e. Color of lower side.—Light greyish green — 191A.         -   f. Surface texture of upper side.—Weak rugosity.         -   g. Terminal leaflet.—i. Length — Long. ii. Width —             Medium. iii. Length/width ratio — Medium. iv. Margin —             Serrate. v. Overall shape — Rounded oval. vi. Apex shape —             Acuminate. vii. Base shape — Elliptical oval.         -   h. Later leaflets.—i. Length — Long. ii. Width —             Medium. iii. Length/width ratio — Medium. iv. Relative             position of lateral leaflets — Touching. v. Margin —             Serrate. vi. Overall shape — Rounded oval. vii. Apex shape —             Acuminate. viii. Base shape — Rounded. -   Flowers:     -   -   General.—.         -   a. Diameter.—Medium.         -   b. Petal.—i. Length — Medium. ii. Width — Medium. iii.             Length/width — Medium. iv. Color of upper side — 155C. v.             Color of lower side — 155C.         -   c. Peduncle.—i. Anthocyanin coloration — Absent. -   Fruit:     -   -   General.—.         -   a. Length.—Long.         -   b. Diameter.—Broad.         -   c. Length/width ratio.—Medium.         -   d. General shape in lateral view.—Circular to broad conical.         -   e. Color.—Light red — 34A.         -   f. Glossiness.—Strong.         -   g. Firmness.—Strong/firm.         -   h. Adherence to plug.—Medium.         -   i. Size of single drupe.—Small.         -   j. Number of drupelets per berry.—High.         -   k. Average weight per berry.—6 grams. -   Production:     -   -   General:         -   a. Main bearing type.—Double crop.         -   b. Primocane (current year's cane)—. i. Time of beginning of             flowering — Early. ii. Time of beginning of fruit ripening —             Medium. iii. Length of fluffing period — Medium. iv. Yield —             High.         -   c. Floricane (previous year's cane).—i. Time of vegetative             bud burst — Medium. ii. Time of beginning of flowering —             Medium. iii. Time of beginning of fruit ripening —             Early-medium. iv. Length of fruiting period — Medium. v.             Yield — High. 

1. A new and distinct variety of raspberry plant named ‘ABB 128’, as illustrated and described herein. 